Method and apparatus for separating single threads from a thread layer



A g- 1 iK351 J s. shc. FLEISCHER 2,564,329

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SINGLE THREADS FROM A THREAD LAYER Filed July 9, 1947 20 as a, 22

Srewd 51C Fleischer 2 W any.

Patented Aug. 14, 1951 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR" SEPARAT- ING SINGLE THREADS FROM A THREAD LAYER.

S vend Sigurd Christie Fleischer, Charlottenlund,

Denmark Application July 9, 1947, Serial No. 759,893 In Denmark May 9, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 9, 1964 9 Claims. (Cl. 28--43) The present invention relates to a method of separating single threads from a thread layer, by which method a crossing or inversion of more than two consecutive threads is prevented.

' When the threads of a thread layer in a loom are to be treated separately, for instance in a looming frame or in other auxiliary devices for looms, or when the threads are to be tied to the threadsof a new thread layer, or are to be passed separately through various implements in a loom, each thread has to be extracted from the thread layer separately. This extraction of each thread may be performed either manually, or by means of a mechanically operated selector member which continually picks the thread that at any time lies outmost in the thread layer, and carries the picked thread to other members of the loom for subsequent treatment. The selector member may for instance be a needle with a notch or hook. By means of the member employed the threads are pressed out of the plane of the thread layer so that they may be engaged by other members'that remove them to the devices, in which their subsequent treatment is to take place. The threads in question are, however, not always uniform in thickness, and this may occasion difliculties in the extraction, because the extracting member can only be formed to coact with one definite thread thickness. If for instance the thread is thicker than intended for the selector member, this member will have difficulties in holding the thread'which may easily slip off. If, however, the following thread in the thread layer has a thickness corresponding to the selec'tor, oreven thinner than this, the selector will easily be able to engage it. Repeated attempts made by the selector to engage a thick thread will cause this thread to be stretched and consequently it will hang slack in suspension. The selector will therefore engage the thinner threads, and only when the thick thread is again tightened by the movement of the separating device across the thread layer, will there be a possibility of the selector member engaging this thick thread. On account of such irregularities there will be produced undesired large crossings', or an inversion of threads, which inversion may extend over more than ten threads and is most unfortunate, particularly in cases of a thread layer for patterned or multicolored woven fabric.

The present invention relates to a method of separating single threads from a thread layer, and. according to which method a crossing or inversion of more than two consecutive threads sition another selector member in the second step of the method engages each thread separately and removes it from its inactive position to other members for subsequent treatment. Further objects of the invention are that in the second step of the method the members holding the.

threads in their inactive or displaced position prevent the selector member operated in the first step of the method in moving more threads to their displaced position, until the threads already in this'displaced position are again removed therefrom, or have been slackened, for instance by being severed.

Still further objects of the invention are that the threads moved to their displaced position may by means of the tension imparted by this displacement actuate guiding members pertaining to this displaced position in such a manner that these guiding members prevent the selector member operated in the first step of the method in carrying more threads to their displaced position before the threads already in this position have been removed therefrom, or have been slackened, for instance by being severed.

Further objects, and means for carrying out the invention according to the method described will be more particularly explained by the detailed description and claims, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figs. 1 and 2- show schematically two different constructions of a device for carrying out the method according to the invention.

A number of the threads along the one edge of a thread layer in a loom are indicated by I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and I. The device as illustrated sche- .matica1ly in Fig. 1 has for carrying out the first formed by an arm I!) extending laterally from an oscillating shaft I I that is actuated by a driv" ing mechanism not included in the drawing. By means of the arm I'll the needle 8 is moved up and down across the plane of the thread layer.

The needle is furthermore linked to the one end of a bar I2, the other end of which is linked to a member !3 slidable in a bearing M to and from the edge of the thread layer, during which mcvcment the selector needle 8 is imparted a lateral movement. This lateral movement is performed in time with the motion of the arm 59 and is brought about by means of a driving mechanism not illustrated. This compound movement of the arm IE and the sliding member l3 will impart to the selector needle 8 and its hook 9 a circular movement so that the hook will be able to engage the thread lying outmost in the thread layer and move it to its displaced position, in which it is held by means of a movable member l provided. with a hook it. It may happen that the hook 9, instead of a single thread engages two threads simultaneously and moves them both together to their displaced position, which instance is illustrated in the drawing. However, it seldom occurs that the hook 9 engages two threads at a time, but the possibility is there if two thin threads lie closely together in the thread layer;

The hooked member I5 is rotatably journalled to a rigidly fixed pin in such a manner that its hooked end may be moved to and from the edge of the thread layer, and the movement towards the edge of the thread layer is counteracted by means of a spring l8. When a thread, or in certain instances two threads, are moved to their resting or inactive position in the hook it, the

tension of the thread, or threads, upon the mem ber l5, will counteract the tension of the spring l8 and serve to hold the hook is in a position close to the edge of the thread layer. In this position of the member l5 a catch it! on the rear end of the member will engage an arm 2:; which is held in a forward position in relation to the edge of the thread layer. The. lateral movement of the selector member 8 will thus be so restricted that the selector cannot move the engaged thread toits displaced position. In order to allow the driving mechanism to continually operate while the sliding member I3 is locked in the manner described, there is inserted a yielding member, for instance a spring 39, in the said member 13. When the thread has been moved to its displaced position and again is removed from this position, or has been slackened, for instance by being severed, the hooked member l5, It will recoil, thus releasing the arm 2 d from its engagement with the catch 19, and accord.- ingly likewise releasing the sliding member IS. The lateral movement of the selector member 3 is thus again increased, and the selector may again move a thread engaged by the hook 9 to its displaced position in the hook l6.

For carrying out the second step in the sepa ration of the threads from a thread layer, the device is provided with another selector member comprising a needle 2! with a notch 22 in its end. This needle is actuated to movement up and down across the plane of the thread layer by means of a driving mechanism of known construction. One form of such driving mechanism may include an arm 3! to which the needle 2! is attached and which is rigidly attached to the end of an oscillating shaft 32, to the other end of which is rigidly attached an arm 33 provided with two prongs 34. The oscillation of shaft 32 is produced by means of a cam 35 disposed between. the two prongs 34 and attached to'a' rotatable shaft 35 operated by means of a driving mechanism not shown in the drawing. When rotated the cam will cause the'arm 33 to oscillate, which oscillation by means of shaft 32 and arm 3! is;

converted to an up and down motion of the needle 2 I perpendicular to the plane of the thread layer. The selector needle 2! engages the thread, or one of the two threads held in displaced position in the hook l6, and moves the engaged thread to other members in the loom for the subsequent treatment thereof.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 the device has similarly to the device illustrated in Fig. l a selector member for carrying out the first step in the separation of threads from a thread layer. This separator member consists of a ne dle 8 provided with a hook 9 on its side. It is given the same motion as the needle 8 in Fig. 1, since it is connected to a crank pin on arm l0 carried by rotary shaft II, and it is connected to one end of the bar or link l2, the other end of which is pivoted to a member 13 slidable in the bearing or support M. The slidable member it is the same as the member I 3 in Fig. 1, except that it does not have the arm 20. The member I3 includes the yielding member or spring 30, and the function and operation or" these parts are the same as in the first described form with the exception that their movements are not con trolled by the arm and hook l9. While in-their inactive position, the separated threads are-held in a hook 24 formed on a rigid member 23. The device has furthermore a member 25 slidable in rigid guide member 26 to and'from the edgeof the thread layer, and operated by means of a driving mechanism of known construction comprising a two-armed lever 37 pivotally attached to a pin 38 attached toa stationary part 39. The one lever arm is provided with a fork 40 embracing a pin 4| rigidly attached to the member 25.

The other lever arm haslikewise a fork 42v embracing a pin 63 rigidly attached. to a crank arm 34 rigidly attached to a rotatable shaft that is operated by means of a driving mechanism not included in thedrawing. Upon rotation of the shaft d5 the lever 31 is caused to oscillate so that member 25 slides forward and backward to and from the edge ofthe thread layer. movementof member 25 to and from the edge of the thread layer takes place in time with themovement up and down of the selector member 8. Linked to the end of the sliding member 25 there is an arm 2's with a'hooked end 28,,the arm being so arranged that it may swing up and down at a right angle toithe plane of the thread layer. The hooked end 28 of the arm 21 extends beneath the edge of the thread layer, and the"- arm is actuated upwardly by means of a spring 29. When the selector-member 8 is moved down-, wards and engages the, outermost thread. in the.

thread layer with its hook 9, the engaged thread is displaced out'of the plane of the thread layer and laid into the hook 28, and when this hook is withdrawn it moves the thread to its displaced position in the hook 24. The thread, or the threads, lying in the hook 24 abut the arm 21, and the thread tension on the arm will counteract the tension of the spring 29 against the arm 21 to the efiect that this arm is held so far down that the hook 28 cannot engage any thread separated from the thread layer by the selector member 8. When the thread, or the threads, lying in the hook 24 are removed from this displaced position, or are slackened, for instance by being;

severed, the spring 29 will again move the arm 21 upwards so that the hook 28 can engage the next thread separated from the thread layer and in the hook 24.

This

iThe -selector member 8 may, similar to the Selector member in the construction shown in Fig." 1, be subjected to a slight'lateral oscillation so that it is not necessary for the arm 21 to extend so far beneath the thread layer, as re quir'ed-if the selector member 8 only performs a'movement up and down at -'a right angle to the plane of the thread layer,

For carrying out the second step in the separation of-threads from a thread layer, the device according to Fig. 2 has similar to the device shown in Fig. la selctormember' comprising a needle 2] with a notch 22 in its end, which needle ismoved up and down across the plane ofthe thread layerby means of the samejmechanism above described, that is, "the rock shaft 32, its arms 3Iand 33 and the? cam 35 on shaft St workingrin the fork 34 of the arm 33. The selector member 21 engages the thread, or one of the threads, lying in the hook 24 and moves this thread to other members for subsequent treatment.

A selector needle having a notch in its end may easily be made to so fit any particular thickness of thread that it will only engage a single thread at a time, as it provides no support for the next thread, and therefore, in the manners of construction illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, only when more than a single thread lies in the hook it, or in the hook 24, will there be a possibility of an exchange or inversion of threads, and such exchange or inversion is limited to two threads.

The manners of construction illustrated in the drawing and described above serve only as examples of how the invention may be carried out practically, but it will be understood that in details there may be altered in order to provide the necessary dependency between the functions of the selector members and the members holding the threads in their displaced position for carrying out the method according to the invention.

I claim:

1. A method of consecutively separating single threads from a thread layer by the employment of selector members, in which the threads that are engaged by a selector member from the edge of the thread layer are moved out of the plane of the thread layer and transferred laterally to an intermediate position somewhat displaced from the edge of the thread layer, where they are held until in this position they are engaged singly by another selector member and moved on to other members for subsequent treatment, the threads in the said intermediate position being subjected to a tension produced during separation, which tension prevents other separated threads from being moved to the intermediate position as long as any thread under tension is in this intermediate position.

2. In a device for separating single threads from a thread layer, the combination of a selector member, means for operating this selector member for movement transversely to the plane of the thread layer to engage and displacethreads from the edge of the thread layer out of this plane, hooked means so disposed and operated as to engage the displaced threads and hold them in their displaced position, another selector member operated to subsequently engage a single displaced thread, means actuating thi other selector member to move the said engaged thread to a position in which it is subjected to further treatment, and means to prevent displacement of from a thread'layer, the combination of a selector member provided with a hook on the side thereof, means for operating this selector member for movement transversely to the plane of the thread" layer to cause its hook to engage and'displace from the said plane threads from the edge of the thread layer, hooked means so 'disposed'as to engage the displaced threads and hold them in their displaced position, another selector memberprovided with a notched end subsequently engaging by means of this notch a single dis placed thread, and means for moving the last mentioned selector member to a position in which the threadengaged is subjected to further treat-" ment.

4. In a device for separating single threads from a thread layer, the combination of a selector member, means for imparting to this selector member an oscillatory motion in a plane transversely to the plane of the thread layer, a hooked member for engaging threads displaced by the said selector member, spring means for holding the hooked member yieldingly against the tension of the displaced threads engaged thereby, another selector member actuated to engage a single thread from the hooked member, means for moving this selector member to a position in which the thread engaged is subjected to further treatment, and means for preventing the oscillating selector member from transferring further threads to the hooked member while this member is subjected to the tension of a previously displaced thread.

5. In a device for separating single threads from a thread layer, the combination of a selector member, means for imparting to said selector member an oscillatory motion in a plane transverse to the plane of the thread layer, said means including a rod slidable in a stationary support and a link connecting said rod to said oscillatory selector member, a hooked member for engaging threads displaced by said selector member, spring means for holding said hooked member yieldingly against the tension of the displaced thread engaged thereby, a second selector member movable to engage a single displaced thread from said hooked member, means for moving said second selector member to a position in which the engaged thread is subjected to further treatment, an arm carried by said slidable rod and projecting at a right angle thereto, and an angular portion carried by the rear end of said hooked member to engage and hold said arm against lateral motion While said hooked member is subjected to the tension of a displaced thread.

6. The structure of claim 5, in which said slidable rod has two rigid sections connected by a yieldable member, one of said rigid sections having connected to it said angularly projecting arm and said link.

7. In a device for separating single threads from a thread layer, the combination of a selector member, means for actuating this selector member vertically for engaging the threads from the upper side of the thread layer and displacing the threads downwardly out of the plane of the thread layer, a hooked member disposed with its hook below the thread layer, means for op erating this hooked member to movement to and from the edge of the thread layer in time with the movement of the selector member, hinge means; forallowing the hooked end of the hooked. member to swing across the thread layer, a spring actuating this hinged hook upwardly towardsthe thread'layer; a rigid stationary hookedmemher in which the threadsdisplaced by the selector member and the swinging hooked member are held in aposition in which the swinging hooked member-is subjected to the tension of the displaced thread and thus held out of engagement with the thread layer against the tension ofthe spring, another selector member, and means for actuating this selector member to movement for engaging a single thread from the rigid stationary hookedmember-and moving it to a position for further treatment. I

8'. The combination'of claim 2 in which said means for-operating-said first mentioned selector member, imparts to it an oscillatory motion.

83; 9; Ihe combination of' claim 2 in which said first mentioned selector member is a bar su's.-.

pended for longitudinal and lateral movements.

and its operating means. includes an oscillatory shaft and crank arm for moving the memberirr the direction of its length and a reciprooatory slide and link connection for controlling the lat eral swinging movement of the member.

SVEND SIGU'RD- CHRISTIE FLEISCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following'references are of record" in the" file of this patent: 

